Brown the bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Add the leek, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and sauté until the leek is softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the potatoes, milk and cream, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer (do not boil) until the potatoes are tender.

Add the corn and continue to simmer until the corn is tender, about 4 minutes for fresh or 7 minutes for frozen.

Serve hot.

** Leeks can be dirty inside the layers and will need a washing. Trim off the root end and about ¼ inch of the white base. Remove any coarse outer leaves and discard. Trim the darkest portion of each leaf down to the light green, more tender portion, leaving about 2 inches of green.… Read the rest

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, celery and garlic, sauté for 5–10 minutes, until onions are soft and veggies are a little golden. Add the white wine and cook for a few minutes and then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat. Add the kale. While that’s simmering, make your meatballs.

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small or medium meatballs. Coat bottom of skillet with olive oil and cook over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, turning occasionally to golden brown on all sides and cooked through. Plop into soup. Serve and enjoy!

Cream of Stinging Nettle Soup may sound like something Morticia might have served on the old ’60s TV show “The Addams Family,” but it’s actually quite delicious and very easy to prepare.

To learn more about how to safely harvest nettles and make this soup, visit Edible Berkshires Facebook

1 large onion

1 clove garlic

2 medium-sized potatoes (OK to substitute Jerusalem artichoke)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth (diluted)

2 cups (at least) steamed nettle greens (fresh or previously frozen)

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup half and half

2 slices bread, cubed and lightly browned in toaster or oven

Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and potatoes and fry them in the olive oil 3–4 minutes in a large pot or saucepan. In the meantime, heat the chicken stock to the boiling point.

Add stock to the vegetables in a saucepan and boil fairly rapidly for 15 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked. Add the nettle greens to the pot, mix well. Liquefy the mixture in a blender, with the half and half.

Pour the puréed mixture back into the pot to reheat and season with salt and pepper.… Read the rest

Heat the butter, olive oil, onions and curry powder in a large stockpot over a low flame, uncovered, until the onions are tender— about 20 minutes.

Stir occasionally, making sure the onions do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, slice in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Chop into chunks. Peel and core the apples. Chop into chunks also.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, thyme and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 35–45 minutes, until the squash and the apples are soft.

Process the soup in the bowl of a food processor until it is puréed.

Return the soup into the pot. Add the apple juice and additional water, if necessary, to adjust the consistency to your liking, although it should be slightly thick. Add additional salt and pepper if you choose too.… Read the rest

Place pumpkin in a saucepan with stock to cover and a pinch of salt. Turn heat to high and bring to boil. Cover pan, and adjust heat so the mixture simmers. Cook until pumpkin is very tender, about 30 minutes. If time allows, cool.

Sauté sausage over high heat. When done, remove from pan and set aside. Sauté kale in the fat left from the sausage. Add more oil if necessary. When done, set aside with sausage.

Place pumpkin mixture in blender—in batches if necessary— and purée until smooth. This would also be a great time to use an immersion blender. Pour into a bowl and stir in sausage and kale.

Welcome to Edible Berkshires - a local, independently owned magazine dedicated to covering the unique culinary culture of the Berkshires region. We report on the growers, artisans, vintners, purveyors and taste makers who play a role in our culinary scene.